If I remember correctly, that's pretty much exactly how the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan. They ended the chaos of the fighting between warlords and their militias and made the country 'safe for women'.

Maybe a conservative islamic police state is better than the chaos of warlords, but I think the idea that Somalia has been 'saved' by anybody is quite a stretch.

"lesser of the two evils" sums it up. Would you rather live in fear of constant violent chaos where you or your daughter can be taken at night, raped, and maybe killed, or in fear of strict Islamic laws, enforced on those unlucky enough to get caught (listening to music, wearing makeup, watching soccer, or flirting with the opposite sex)? If you obey the crazy laws, you'll at least be relatively safe in a strict islamic society. Safe enough to choke on it and want to be free, then ending up stoned or flogged to death. blech.